OceanExO

A tool to gather visual evidence of the impact of the 2020 Mauritius oil spill

On 25th of July 2020 MV Wakashio ran aground a coral reef just next to an island nation of Mauritius. What ensued was oil leakage leading to a spill which threatens both the rich, marine biodiversity and the local economy.

Since Mauritius never experienced such a catastrophe, reliable information was scarce, and the real and on-going impacts on the environment, people and the economy are largely unknown. It does not have to be that way though.

With the first OceanExO apps, we are gathering tagged visual evidence right from the people experiencing the spill personally, as it happens. The goal is to gather, process, anonymize and tamper-proof the information - and make it available to both scientists and decision-makers.

OceanExO’s goal (and Massive Transformative Purpose) is to preserve and protect our oceans.
And as we move towards our goal, we also want to make sure that lack of on-the-ground data will not hinder neither environmental response nor accountability in the future.

Many thanks to all the volunteers and supporters for their efforts! as well our appreciation for all your patience and cooperation as we navigate through the muddy waters.